The holiday season is upon us! For many of us this is a time of joy and celebration with family and friends. It can also be a time of reflection, goal-setting, and even taking time out to give back.
However, this season can be particularly difficult for many persons within our community. Some are struggling with loss, others are having financial difficulties, while others are on the road of recovery. I make it a point to say “of” because recovery is not a destination, it is an ongoing journey.
Thus, this month’s public health spotlight focuses on building awareness of alcohol misuse during this time of the year. While we lack data when it comes to alcohol use within Cayman’s adult population, the National Drug Council’s Cayman Islands Student Drug Use Survey of 2022 provides us with some eye-opening information about how alcohol is impacting the lives of our youngest citizens.
This should not only give us pause, but it should also challenge us to play closer attention to our teens during the season given how readily available alcohol becomes throughout the month of December.
Additional information on services provided by the NDC and Caribbean Haven are also included as a way to connect you to these agencies.
Our epidemiological corner provides us with not only the latest surveillance data for COVID-19, but also flags the electronic ESAVI form as an important tool to capture events supposedly attributed to vaccination or immunisation.
As we wrap up 2022, I wish you all a wonderful holiday season.
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